


Father and Son

by Mareel



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Mass Effect 2, Memories, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-27 16:32:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14429673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mareel/pseuds/Mareel
Summary: Some losses will stay with you and hurt forever.





	Father and Son

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place shortly after the loss of the _Normandy_ , and is Councilor Anderson's voice. 
> 
> This story is in canon with both [Overture](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12485960/chapters/28421740) and my [Always](https://archiveofourown.org/series/223643) series, since John Shepard's spacer background and parentage are the same in both. It makes reference to events in [Legacy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13988136), but stands on its own as well.

 

John Shepard is dead.

I feel the loss like a stab to the gut. Sure, the _Normandy_ was once my ship and I rage at the loss – of the ship and so many of the crew...

But losing Shepard is like losing a son. Nearest I'll ever come to having a son, I guess. 

His father was so proud of him even when he was just a kid. Liam was like a proud granny when it came to his son... always showing me pictures on his omnitool or telling me about his kid's latest shenanigans. And there were plenty of _those_. When Liam's ship was lost to the Batarians, there was no doubt in my mind that he would have been on that ship 'til the end - trying to get his crew to safety, trying to keep the _Culloden's_ tech from falling into Batarian hands... trying to pull off a miracle and save her.

Liam had talked about how his son wanted to join the Navy, and after his death I promised myself I'd keep an eye out for him. When John turned up to enlist on his eighteenth birthday, it was like seeing a twenty years younger Liam standing across the desk from me. I'd never met his mother, but after talking with John and seeing the mixture of respect and determination in his eyes, I had to give her a call and tell her that she and Liam had raised one hell of a fine son. 

I couldn't promise to keep him safe. As an Alliance commander herself, she would know it was impossible. I feel like I should contact her now... express my condolences at her loss... but I can't bring myself to do it. Because I feel like I failed him. The whole damn Alliance failed him. Along with the Council he saved. We claim to honor our heroes, but we allow things like this to happen... for assinine political reasons. Commander Hannah Shepard just refused a promotion to admiral. She said she could honor her son's memory better by staying with her ship. What she was really saying is that she refuses to be a Shepard poster child to assuage someone's guilt about the loss of the _Normandy_.

I'm going to feel this loss for a long time. Like father, like son. 

Rest in peace, John Shepard.

 


End file.
